New UN Standards and Norms on Reducing Reoffending

Reducing reoffending through rehabilitation and reintegration was an issue of great interest at the Kyoto Congress, and a consensus that international society should promote activities to reduce reoffending was reached. One of the measures to promote this international consensus is to establish new UN standards and norms.

In the past, UN Crime Congresses have triggered the formation of UN standards and norms. For example, the Nelson Mandela Rules (the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners) is now a useful reference for many countries in making policies and practices.

At national level, Japanese government established the National Recidivism Prevention Plan, through which reducing reoffending has been promoted through public-private partnerships among national and local governments and private sector. Such efforts are producing a steady flow of successful results in reducing reoffending in Japan. Based on such experience, Japan will take the lead in the formulation of new UN standards and norms on reducing reoffending.

UNODC'ｓ website